I'm going to change out my plugs soon and I've heard that using 997TT coil packs is a good move/upgrade. I'm very new to Pcar ownership and don't have any idea what the difference is between the coil packs. Any constructive recommendations is appreciated.

 

Less prone to cracking. I'm not even sure they make 996tt coil packs anymore- pretty sure the 997 part has replaced them.

Plus, given the age of our cars, it's time to change coilpacks. Since they have to come out anyway when doing plugs, it's a no brainer IMO.

 

Agree! Just order some from Pelican and got the 997 ones....

 

Just changed the coils and plugs myself since the dealer wants about 2K for the job but its not that bad of a job to do yourself. The car runs very smooth after the install with no misfires or jerking. I don't think you can get the 996 coils anymore and all my original ones were cracked after 30K. Your spark plugs will only last approx. 20km/12 miles if your car is tuned.

 

Who was the best price on coil packs?

 

Probably Autohausaz at $41 for the Beru ones which is what the factory uses but with the Porsche stamp. I recently heard Bosch has come out with some and they are a little cheaper.

 

I agree on the self maintenance approach.

8 hours labor for the plug change is what I got quoted. I will do this myself once my extended warranty expires but a requirement of my warranty is that a "certified" shop perform the 60k mile maintenance………….so far that extended warranty is only costing me money.

 

I agree that you can do the job yourself in an afternoon. The 997 part is what my local porsche dealer shows as the suggested replacement part for the 996 Turbo.

 

sonnenporsche usually has the best price for oem parts.

 

Sonnen has the original Porsche coils priced at $47 and Sunset is $49.

 

The 996TT coil pack is not in production. The new 997TT coil pack is made by Beru. I recommend the new Bosch coil pack. I sell the set for $286.00 There are a few different design features in the Bosch units. The plug insulator provides a better seal against water and road salts. Lastly I prefer the Bosch branding vs the Beru.

 

The other option is to go aftermarket such as evoms or BBI. They are, however, $1k....
Any advantage to this (are they worth the money)?

 

Wow. what a silly warranty. Is that actually in the policy language? New car warranties are prohibited from doing this, but I think aftermarkets can get away with it.

 

It is an after market extended warranty that the dealer arranged and yes that language is in the contract. The coverage is pretty good for non-wear parts, it just requires the "certified shop" for the 60k service etc.

 

I did my plugs in about 6 hours myself on the first try using the DIY posted here. I will say the only real "gotcha" I ran into is the O-Rings on the intercooler hoses. They are very tricky to get seated right when you put the car back together. If they are wrong you will get ABS Fail, PSM fail and a host of other goodies. Its not a big deal to fix but is something to keep your eye on. The coilpacks from EVOMS are pretty hot im told.